In the legendary "Phoenix chasing Phoenix", is it a man chasing a woman, or a woman chasing a man?

A man pursues a woman. The phoenix refers to a man and the phoenix refers to a woman. See "Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix" Author: Sima Xiangru

The phoenix returns to its hometown and travels all over the world to seek its phoenix.

If you don’t meet me at that time and you have nothing to do, how can you realize that you are going to be promoted to this hall now?

There is a beautiful lady in the boudoir, and the people in the room are poisonous to my intestines.

How come they are like mandarin ducks with their necks crossed, and they are soaring!

The emperor comes to live with me, and I have to entrust you to be your concubine forever.

Who is the one who knows how to communicate and understand each other in the middle of the night?

Both wings rise and fly high, without feeling, my thoughts make me sad.

〖About the author〗

Sima Xiangru, (about 179 BC - 117 BC), also known as Changqing, was a great poet and poet in the Western Han Dynasty. Han nationality, from Pengzhou, Sichuan (now Peng'an, Nanchong), some say from Chengdu. Sima Xiangru was good at drums and harp, and the harp he played was called "Green Qi". It was a gift from Liang Wang during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Western Han Dynasty. It was a famous guqin. Its name has been passed down to this day, and it even became another name for guqin in literary works.

The story of his elopement with Zhuo Wenjun has long been popular and has become a legend. According to the "Historical Records: Biography of Sima Xiangru": He was a capital official and an official from the Liang Kingdom who returned to Shu from a trip to Shu. At the invitation of his friend Wang Ji, the commander of Linqiong (now Qionglai, Sichuan), he went as a guest. Zhuo Wenjun, the daughter of the local richest man Zhuo Wangsun, is talented and beautiful, proficient in music, and is a young widow. Once, Zhuo Wangsun held a grand banquet for hundreds of people. Wang Ji and Xiangru were both invited to attend as distinguished guests. During the banquet, Wang Ji introduced Xiangru to his proficiency in piano skills, and everyone said, "I heard that you play 'Green Qi' very well. Please play a piece and let us enjoy it." Xiangru said "Green Qi" in public. He played two piano pieces, hoping to provoke Wenjun. "Wenjun secretly peeped at it from the door, and he liked it very much, but he was afraid that it was inappropriate. After that, Xiangru sent someone to give Wenjun's servant (maid) Tong Yinqin. Wenjun died at night and ran to Xiangru, so Xiangru was Return to Chengdu with Chi." But when Zhuo Wenjun arrived at Sima Xiangru's house, he found out that his family was very poor and his life was gradually becoming more and more difficult. Sima Xiangru had no choice but to sell the house and return to Linqiong with Zhuo Wenjun and open a hotel. In the end, Zhuo Wangsun rescued him and he gradually recovered. These two poems are said to be the lyrics of "The Phoenix Seeks the Emperor" that Xiangru played the piano and sang. Since the "Historical Records" did not contain this poem, it was first included in "Yutai New Odes" compiled by Xu Ling in the Chen Dynasty, with a preface explaining that it was also included in the Tang Dynasty's "Yiwen Leiju" and the Song Dynasty's "Yuefu Poems Collection", so it has been included in the Song Dynasty's "Yuefu Poetry Collection". It is suspected that it was made by Sima Xiangru, a harp worker of the Han Dynasty. There are indeed many false claims in works such as Qinge, but it is difficult to find a definite basis to prove it. Regarding this issue, we can only have doubts.

The first song expresses Sima Xiangru’s infinite admiration and passionate pursuit of Zhuo Wenjun. Xiangru refers to himself as a phoenix, and Bi Wenjun as an emperor (phoenix), which has multiple meanings in the specific context of this poem.